This article first appeared in the Santa Clara Historical and Genealogical Society Newsletter, April 2023 On Being a History Detective: My Research Experience on Donner Party Survivor/Rescuer, William H. Eddy Call it fate or destiny, five years ago I became an ardent...
While her husband, William “Will” Eddy (1816-1859) chases a 900-pound grizzly bear, puffs his pipe, fells trees for lake lodging, tells very tall and ribald tales, shoots errant game, or makes midnight plans with Charles Stanton to walk across the Sierras in the dead...
In great tragedies we often look for heroes—they sacrificed and saved others who couldn’t save themselves. In the Donner Party story there are a few heroes among those families looking out only for themselves. One of my favorites is carriage-maker (or coffin-maker,...
